Air valve



Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,554 w. A. RUSSELL AIR VALVE Filed Dec. 15. 1921 @www pz Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

i UNITED STATES WILLIAM A. RUSSELL, or YONKERS, NEW Yoitx,

AIR vAnvE.

Application flied December 15, 1942i. SeriiNo. 522,478.

This invention relates to certain improvements in air valves for steam radiators and the like. Y I

These valves are used With steam radiators to provide communication between the radiator and the outer air, and it is the function of these valves to permit escape of `air in the radiator'to the atmosphere, the valve closing after the air, has been driven out to prevent discharge oi the steam through the valve. y

These valvesmust Work Withpgreat quickness and there must be a good circulation through thevalve casing after the valve is closed so asto prevent the valve from Waterlogging. The valves and their operating mechanism are positioned in a casing which is secured to the radiator, the casing projccting from the radiatoig'and as heretofore constructed are of considerable height, so that they are conspicuous and therefore unsightly and are very liable to be hit and injuredby careless moving of furniture or the like. n

It is one object ofthe present invention to produce a valve casing and valve operating mechanism which shall be small and compact and form a thin flat construction so as to be comparatively inconspicuous when vplace on the radiatorwall, and Which will lie so snugly against the radiator Wall as to reduce the liability of being hit and consequently injured to a minimum. Y i

It is a? further' object of the invention to produce an air valve so constructed as to provide a more eilicient circulationthrough the valve than is the case With these valves asheretofore constructed so asto make the f "valvepractically free lfrom Waterlogging.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a valve and operating `mechanism therefor, which shall be simple in arrange* nient, the valve moving to opening and clos-` ing position accurately andf quickly, and the parts not liable to get out of'adjustment.

lVith `these and other objects not specifically referred yto in view, the invention' con-Vv sists in certain lnovel arrangements, parts and combinations7 Which will be described in detail in connection with "the accompanying drawings, and the novelffeatures pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.k

In these dravvngs Figi-1re 1i 1e a vertiealseetion @fthe valve K igure 67's a sectional View of a further modified form of valve operatingmechanism Which may be employed under some circumstances. l y A Figurev' isa `cross sectional viewgsimilar to Fig. 2, showing a further modification .vhich may be employedn and also illustrating an improved thermostatic strip.` l l `Rerit'erring novato these drawings `which illustrate a preferred embodimentof one of the important featuresof theinvention, to

'wig-the small thin tlatk `valve, casingk and parts, there is shown a casing formed to be quite inconspicuous when Aon the radiator, and this CasinIk is marked generally With the numeral l. V his` casing ypreferably as shown, circular and includes a front Wall and a back Wall 3, These Walls are spaced apart to providea chamber for the accommodation; of valvalve and valve operating meansof sufticient size tov function under conditions of use, the resultant structure thus beingA comparatively thin when looked at edgewise, being in general coniigurat'ionl something like a Watch. These intervening edge 4Walls l, are marked 4, andmay be con veniently formed by turning in the Walls 2 so to lie at right angles toV these Walls and then bending the inner edges to formr a flange indicated by the numeraly 5, which forms a seat against which the back wall maybe secured as by soldering, or `in `any' other suitable manner, so as to make a joint tight against .air .and liquid.I These `edge Walls aimay, `ot course,`be of diyferent Widths, but they will be preferably made as shown to produce the ,Het structure relatively narrow, as compared with thevvidthjand height of the front` and backivallsA The edge Walls are, vas shown, erforated at thevtop to forni a screw three ed openn `6 which receives a nipple fhavingan eut et. pcrt, thieiip-i Walls. y

-nipple under conditions of use.

plc being` provided with a threaded shank by which it may be screwed into theA edge The casing is provided With means for securing it to a radiator Wall so as to lie snugly against the Wall and thus be out of the Way and inconspicuous. These means in the particular construction illustrated are in the form of a projection 10, threaded as indicated at 11, to screw into la boss 12'conveniently formed on the Wall of the radiator, this projection 10 being preferably formed integrally with the back Wall or plate 3, before referred to. i

The invention includes a valve and valve operating mechanism forclosing the casing to prevent steam and Water of condensation from passing out therethrough. As shown, this valve is in the form of a pin 13 having a pointedend lll which enters into the port 8 in the nipple 7, before referred to. In these valve structures the valve should operate Very quickly so as to prevent steainfrom passing `out through the valvecasing after the air has been expelled from the radiator. Furthermore, there should be provided means for operating the valve to prevent Water of condensation from passing out of the casing.

While various constructions may be employed for edecting this, inthe particular construction illustrated, this valve is secured to av floatl, Which is', as shown, an air tight chamber, the Walls ofwhich maybe made of a suitable light metal. This float is, in the preferred construction, like the casing madey as thin and flat when looked at edgewise Aas possible, and is dimensioned to operate to lift the valve to its seat in the i To enable the valve to operate with great quickness, the valve preferably operated by a strip of thermostatic metalivhich will be almost instantly affected by entranceof steam into the valve casing to a sufiicient extent to cause a closing movement of the valve. This thermostatic metal may be either in the form of tivo strips 1G and 17 as -shownrv in Figs. 1 and 2, or a single strip 18, as shown in Figs. l to 6. This thermostatic metal may be secured in the 'casing in various Ways, and means are provided; for guid' ing the lmver end of the float which may` be ,Y somewhat varied in detail.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, there'is shown a supporting strip 1'9fdime1isioned to snugly it in the casing against the inner face of the front Wall 2. This supporting strip at its bottom is provided with feet 2O formed by turning in the ends of the strip, a supportingfflange 21 extending between the' feet but somewhat above them s0 as to leaveJ a space between ythe tlangeand the edge Wall 4 of the casing. Thisflange is apertured to receivea guide pin 22 secured to the bottom of the float. The upper end of the supporting strip 19 is also formed to provide a perforated'extension 23 to which one end of each of the'thermostat strips 16 and 17 are secured byv rivets 25 at each side, andthe perforation is arranged to receive the threaded shank of the nipple 7. Vl/Vith thisconstruction the support 19 with the strips secured thereto and the pin 22 positioned in the flange 21. may be assembled and the whole slipped into the casing and lheld inplace When the nipple is screwed into position."

In theconstructions shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 the free ends of the thermostat strips are arranged to bear against the thin edge of the oat and lift the iioat to close the valve, and to enable thisto be effected the float is, as shown, provided with a flat bottom indicated by the numeral 27. ff In themodiiication shown in Fig. 6, th support 19 is omitted and the guide for the lower end of the valve may be formed by the thermostat strip itself. In the con struction here illustrated, there is provided a single strip which is bent up centrally, as indicated atl 28 to provide a recess to receive 'the end ofthe guide pin 22, the strip being secured as by rivets 29 to the casing Walls,

one of these rivets being provided on each side of the' bent Vup portion 28. In this construction, as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the free ends 30 of the strip bear against rthe flat bottom 27 on the float to operate the float.

In F igs; 4 and 5 is illustrated a further modification. In this construct-ionv there is provided a single thermostat strip which is secured in place'by rivets 31, which pass through extensions 32 on a metallic bridge shaped member 33 which is apertured to receive guide pin22. e The free ends 34 of the strip are slotted to overlap, as shown in Fig. 5. The shank of the valve 13 is positioned in these slots and is provided With a lifting collar 35 against which the ends of the strips bear. llVith this construction the valve and fioat are lifted by the expanding movement of the strip to close the valve.

The invention also includes an improved means for bettering the circulation through the valve casing as compared with valves as heretofore constructed. -lVhile these means Will preferably be used with the flat` casing, as heretofore described,such means are capable of use with casings'and valves other than` those shown, and the invention as to lun l lll this feature is not to bey limited to the casing,l

valve and valve operating means described. "This improved circulation is effected by taking advantage of the different temperaturesvvithin and Without the valve casing, and a passage for the steam and air from the radiator to the casing is provided Which is located on the outside of the casing.

(itl

lVhile this passage maybe formed in various ways, illustratedthere is formed on the outside of the back wall 3 of the casing a passage of suiiicient dimensions for the purpose required, the walls of this passage being preferably formed integral with the back wall. rThis passage is indicated by the numeral 36, the inner wall of this passage being formed by the back wall of the casing, and the outer wall indicated at 37 being integral with the casing. In the particular construeticn illustrated, this passage extends at one end through the projection l0, be'iore referred to, this projection being divided by a central wall 38 formed integral with the back wall 3 of the casing, and this passage extends from the interior of the radiator outside the easing and is connected with the interior of the casing by an opening 39.

l/Vater oi'A condensation is taken off by a short pipe 4l() which extends through the projection l() so as to' open into the casing near the bottom, and this pipe is united by a coupling i-l with a pipe 42 extending down into the radiator. This construction torms a siphon by which the water of condensation is taken out ot the valve casing.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a further modi- `iication ot the improved valve which may be employed under certain circumstances, particularly where a greater valve movement is necessary or desired than would be taken care olf by the single thermostatic strips shown in the other igures, and there is shown in this F ig. 7 an improved thermostatic strip for edecting a wide valve movement. In the particular construction shown, the valve casing and the float may be arranged and con structed substantially in the same manner as already described with reference to Fig. 2. rI`his float is, however, in the construction illustrated iu Fig. 7, operated by a thermostatic strip of improved construction whereby a very eiilective lifting action on the float is obtained. As there shown, there is provided a pair ot thermostatie strips, `each strip comprising two members 36, 37 secured together at. one end, these strips being separated at the other end. One ot these members, asl the member 36, is secured at one end by rivets 38 in the extensions 2O ot the supporting strip 19 before referred to. The free ends of the other member 37 bear against the flat bottom 27 formed on the thin edge ot' the float. While the thermostatic strips could be formed by bending a long strip to form the two members 36, 37, it has been found in practice that the best results are obtained by providing two strips and uniting them at one end, as by rivets 39. lilith this construction it will be seen that the upper ends of the thermostatic strips exert a lifting action until they are stopped by the walls of the casing, the upper end being free to move in the casing. After further expanding movement of both strips is prevented by the casing walls, however, a1- continued expansion of the strip member 37 causes a further lifting action ot the float, and thus acts to give the iioat a 'widelifting movement and hold the valve snugly Closed. 1While one suchdouble thermostatic strip might be used, it has been found in practice that a more even movement is obtained by the use olE two such strips, one bearing against each side of the flat bottomon the iioat, as shown in Fig. 7, and this construction will preferably be used.

IVith this construction the steam from the Aradiator enters the casing through the water-logging and will function effectively under all conditions.

While the invention has been shown and described in its preferred form, it will be understood that certain changes and variations maybe made in the specific form and construction, and that the invention is not to be limited to the precise casing and valve and valve operating means shown. It .is further understood that the invention as to the feature of the outside passage is not to be restricted to the type of casing shown, but it may be used in other types of air valves. i

What I claim is:

l. In an air valve, the combination of a easing having spaced front and back walls the intervening edge walls being comparatively narrow as compared with the width and height of the front and back walls so as to form a thin Hat structure, a valve in the casing, a valve seat for the valve, a support in the casing and means tor holding it in position, a ioat in the casing connected with t-he valve and guided at one end on the support,a thermostatic strip arranged for tree travel co-operating with the float, and means for seruring'the casing to a radiator.

2. In an air valve, the combination of an annular casing and means for securing it to a radiator, a valve in the casing, a removable seat for the valve, a removable support in the casing and means for holding it in position, a Heat connected to the valve and guided at one end in the support, and a thermostatic strip arranged for tree travel secured to the support and co-operating with the lioat. Y

8. In an air valve, the combination of an annular casing and means for securing it to La radiator, a valve Lin the casing, and a thermostatic element arranged i or 'iree travel iter operating the valve,v said element includmg two members united at one end, one of ian4 said members being secured to the easing and the other of said members operating` the valve.

t. In an air valve, the combination of an annular casing` and means for securing it to a radiator, a valve in fthe casing, and a. thermostatic element arranged for free travel for operating the Valve, said element including two separate strips secured together at one endyone of said strips being' secured to the easing rand theother of said strips operating the valve. V

5. In an air Valve, the combination of an annular Casing and means for connecting,

it toa radiator, a valve inthe casing, a float for operating the valve` and a thermostatio element arranged for free travel for operating the float and including two sets of thermostatic strips, each set including` a member seeured'to the casing; anda member Which engages with the lioat for operating it. 6. In an air valve, the combination of an annular casing and means for securing it to a radiator, ra valve inthe Casing, a float in t a radiator, a valve in the casing', afloat in the easing, and a pairof thermostatie strips on each Side and extendingr around the float, Jthe strips of the pair being secured together at their upper ends, one end of one strip of eaeh pair being secured to the casing and the other end being upwardly bent to engage the bot-toni of the float. t

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. e

n VILLIAM A. RUSSELL. 

